Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Prof. Gates Arrest is Racist!

As a long time Cambridge resident, I can vouch for Prof. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (pictured) that racism is alive and well in the city of Cambridge! I know white people hate it when a black person speaks the truth, but yes racism exists in Cambridge. I've seen many incidents over the years in the home of the city that houses the prestigious schools of Harvard and MIT. Cambridge is not the liberal city it claims to be. May the world see!

What's worse, is the campaign to eradicate the city of its black population. The blacks that remain in Cambridge are either wealthy or living in the projects. The few remaining black homeowners are being enticed to sell off their properties in order to make the neighorhoods white. If you don't agree to sell, ugly things start happening.

If you are black in Cambridge always walk with ID and be careful walking down some of those streets. You might get stopped. Walking while black is the term we use! Worse if a crime happens the first suspects to round up are the first black folks they see! Black folks come in all shapes sizes and colors, so its funny to see who gets rounded up and who actually committed the crime. A dark skinned black man gets picked up, when the crime was committed by a light skinned male etc.

And does anyone remember the case of the black principal, at the Agassiz (now Baldwin) school? Peggy Avarette was run out of town by Klan members who didn't wear sheets in 1998. The final straw was when they tried to set fire to her car right outside her home near Harvard Square! Yes, I say those white folks who perpetrated such hate were Klan members who did not wear sheets. They know who they are. The sad thing was the kids kept asking, WHY? Why were people being racist? The kids got along fine, it was the grown-ups acting and teaching their kids to be racist! The issue the white parents didn't want a black principal. They harassed Peggy Avarette constantly, standing outside her office window, making threatening calls to her home etc. After Ms. Avarette left another black principal was hired, then I remember hearing some of those racists saying "Be careful what you wish for".

I can recall so many incidents of racism in Cambridge, whites trying to kick black children out of a school in order to take the building over for their own kids, etc. ...that's the Cambridgeport/Maynard School issue!

In a way, I'm glad that this happened to Prof. Gates. If it had happened to anyone else less prominent it would not have been news. Now, the world can see how racist the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts really is.

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Harvard Professor Gates Arrested

Tue July 21, 2009

From Deb BrunswickCNN

(CNN) -- African-American scholar and Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested last week on a charge of disorderly conduct after a confrontation with an officer at his home, according to a Cambridge, Massachusetts, police report.

Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested last week on a charge of disorderly conduct.

According to the report, officers responded to a call Thursday from a woman who said she saw "a man wedging his shoulder into the front door" at Gates' house near the university. The report, obtained by CNN affiliate WCVB-TV, indicates Gates refused to identify himself to a police officer, claiming the officer was a racist.

Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Police Department stated in the report that he told Gates he was investigating a report of a break-in at the residence. According to the report, Gates "opened the front door and exclaimed, 'Why, because I'm a black man in America?' "

Crowley wrote in the report that he warned Gates two times he was becoming disorderly. After Gates continued to yell and accuse him of racial bias, Crowley wrote he arrested Gates for "loud and tumultuous behavior in a public space."

A statement by Gates' lawyer and fellow Harvard professor Charles Ogletree said that the incident occurred when Gates returned to his home after a trip to China.

Gates, accompanied by a driver, found the front door damaged.

He entered the house with his key through the rear door. Then, he and and driver were able to force the front door open, Ogletree said in his statement.

Don't MissWCVB: Police report of incidentThe statement was published on the Web site The Root, of which Gates is editor-in-chief.

An officer arrived and told Gates he was investigating a call about a breaking-and-entering at the residence, Ogletree wrote.

Gates identified himself at the officer's request, according to Ogletree.

"He [Gates] turned to walk into the kitchen where he had left his wallet. The officer followed him. Professor Gates handed both his Harvard University identification and his valid Massachusetts driver's license to the officer," Ogletree wrote on The Root.

Ogletree's statement also said that Gates asked Crowley for his name and badge number several times without success.

Then, when Gates followed Crowley to the front door, Crowley said, "Thank you for accommodating my earlier request, and then placed him [Gates] under arrest," Ogletree said.

The Cambridge Police Department would not release any information regarding the incident.

Gates has one of 20 prestigious "university professors" positions at Harvard University, according to WCVB, and joined the faculty in 1991. He is considered one of the nation's pre-eminent scholars of African-American studies. In 1997, Time magazine placed him on its list of the 25 most influential Americans .

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The person who made the call which started the chain of events is identified as one Lucia Whalen (40) of Malden, MA.

4 comments:

Sgt Crowley has twice threatened to arrest me in retaliation for me exercizing my civil rights. he then lies about the details of the two incidents.

I am a senior, and disabled, and as a Mass Office on disability Trained Community Access Monitor, I was documanting pedestrian access at dangerous street construction sites when Officer Sgt crowley showed up and ordered me away. It is lawful for me to be there, and take photos to support MAAB complaints that I file when the City refuses to comply with Mass State Safety Code.

Threatening the use of force, or use of force, (an arrest) in response to a complaint of discrimination based on disability or race is unlawful. It is a Colour of Law violation, and in the state of Mass it is also a hate crime.

I wonder how many other people have complained about Sgt crowley’s bedside manner?

Segt. Crowley did not expect to see a black man in such a nice house, nor do (some) cops like being told "no" by anyone, but most especially by black people. The cop felt the need to "put Gates in his place" and make a show of power even though no crime had occurred.

Henry Louis Gates is a professor of African American Studies. Gates has many publications. Gates teaches at Harvard. Gates is obviously intelligent, but intelligence does not inoculate one from racism. Racism is just another expression of the evil in mankind’s heart. Intelligence is not a cure for evil. Harvard has had racists on its faculty in the past. So Gates is just another permutation. It is wonderful to see that beneath the skin we really all are the same.

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I worked for Tanzania's Daily News for 11 years leaving as a Senior Reporter. I love acting, films, short story writing and cooking. I blog in English and Swahili. I am a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and AFTRA.
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